Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is the 2022 standalone mystery film sequel to the 2019 film Knives Out, written and directed by Rian Johnson. The film had a one-week limited theatrical release on November 23, 2022, grossing $15 million, before Netflix made it available for streaming on December 23, 2022. Most recently, the film received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 95th Academy Awards.
In the film, Daniel Craig reprises his role as Benoit Blanc, a world-famous detective, but is met by a new cast of figures as he visits the private island of tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton). Blanc is accompanied to the island by Bron’s inner circle of friends played by Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista.
It’s a pretty stacked cast. Talent abounds in this film, as it did in its prequel, but this time we’re not focused on one family, and instead centre around eccentric billionaire Miles Bron and his inner circle of friends (I use this term loosely, because are they really?). The classic whodunnit trope is so well done in both Knives Out films, and Rian Johnson’s writing style lends well to a fun ride for viewers as they untangle the mystery alongside Blanc, met with surprise twists and a satisfying conclusion at the end where Johnson wraps everything up and ties it with a bow.
I am the first to admit that I’m not necessarily a movie aficionado, but I do know a good movie when I watch it. Personally, I found this film so fun! I loved Knives Out (it’s one of my favourite films to recommend to people), so I had high expectations for Rian Johnson and this sequel. Not only did they both meet those expectations, but they did it in style. Literally.
One of my favourite aspects of this film was the costume design! Kate Hudson, Daniel Craig, Janelle Monáe, and Leslie Odom Jr. served looks after looks throughout, and I happily ate it up. The island setting was beautiful, the mansion extravagant, and the props just eccentric enough to showcase Miles Bron’s weirdo billionaire personality.
However, Glass Onion wasn’t perfect. Like its counterpart, I was left wanting a little bit regarding some of the character development. Some characters seemed to have too much focus on them, others not enough, and some individual storylines weren’t tied up as neatly as I had hoped.
Some Ravens shared their thoughts about this sequel with me.
Abby told me that she, “like[s] that they didn’t continue with the family from the first movie and introduced an entirely new set of characters. It made the movie feel less reliant on the first one.” But, she followed up by saying that she, “Wished they had spent more time on some characters because I thought a few of them could have had more development to amplify the mystery a bit.”
Another Raven, Emma, said she, “was expecting a bit more from the set and prop design. The first movie with the old house and maximalism was all so beautiful and regal but the second movie set was more focused on the beauty of the island over necessarily using props.”
Finally, Ethan said that he loved unravelling the mystery alongside Blanc, and “appreciated the attention to detail. I’ve rewatched it a few times now, and every single time I notice something I didn’t before. It just shows the attention and time that gets put into these kinds of movies.”
Overall, I think Glass Onion had some large shoes to fill following the success of its predecessor, but it rose to the occasion beautifully. Personally, I hope to see another sequel come from this.
What did you think of Glass Onion? Did you predict it from the start, or were you shocked by the twist? Let me know!